1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a separate-type signal processing apparatus having a first device including a data acquisition part and a second device connected by wire or wireless with the first device, in which the software components for the first and second devices work in cooperation to carry out a predetermined process, and to a method of updating the version of each software component.
2. Related Art
For example, with the digital broadcast, there has been proposed the method by which a software component for a broadcast receiver is downloaded to overwrite (update) an existing software component of the broadcast receiver when the program that the broadcast receiver executes is subjected to version renewal including addition, changes, etc. (see e.g. JP-A-2005-222140 (Patent Document 1)).
Data for version upgrade of a program, etc. of a broadcast receiver (i.e. a program for update) is multiplexed with broadcast waves and sent out from a broadcast station. The program for update has been delivered to the broadcast station from a supplier of the program previously. The broadcast receiver extracts the program for update from the received broadcast waves thereby to acquire the targeted program. Then, the broadcast receiver uses the acquired update program to carry out the version upgrade (update) concerning the program, etc. that the broadcast receiver executes.
The word “download” is used in two ways: in a narrow sense, to acquire and temporarily save data, etc. from a server, a broadcast station or the like; and in a broad sense, in addition to acquire and save data, etc. likewise, to overwrite existing data after the acquisition. Herein, the word “upload” is used in the narrow sense of acquiring data, etc., and the other word “update” (particularly “version upgrade” in the case of a program or the like) is used for an action to overwrite existing data.